Family
1. I’ve been married to Tera for almost 10 years
2. We were married on December 15, 1995.
3. I asked her to be my girlfriend on December 15, 1987
4. We took only one “break” to date others for about 16 months.
5. We were virgins before we were married
6. That was the best thing that I have ever given to my wife.
7. I heard a wine commercial with a beautiful song on it and I secretly told myself that I wanted to hear that at my wedding and to my surprise it was played when Tera walked down the aisle.
8. I still can’t remember the name of that song – I think it was Hymn #7.
9. I cried a lot when she walked down the aisle.
10. We lived in a one room apartment for 6 months and then bought a house. Buying a house when I was young was the best financial thing I have ever done.
11. I can’t remember what my life was before Clay was born.
12. Clay was born on December 1, 1998
13. I cried a lot when clay was born.
14. Damon was born on April 6, 2001.
15. I was scared to death wondering how I am going to love him as much as I loved Clay. It happened but I still don’t get it.
16. Ella was born on August 29, 2003
17. I got “fixed” right after Ella was born.
18. I cried a lot the day I got fixed.
19. There were “complications” – we will leave it at that.
20. My Kids are growing up way too fast.
History
21. I have three brothers and one sister.
22. I am the last and middle child – screwed one way blessed the other.
23. My mom and dad were divorced when I was around 3.
24. I got to visit my dad every summer and Christmas and some holidays.
25. I would wait on my couch and look out the window to see if my dad was there yet.
26. Dad was always late. I hated waiting.
27. I lived with my mom and her parents in their house.
28. While mom went to work I was at school or during breaks, my grandma and grandpa took care of me.
29. Grandpa taught me Psalms 1, took me to work (he owned a plumbing company and I used to honk the horn when we went under a bridge), taught me how to shoot a gun and bow and arrow (I shot a 30’06 when I was 6 – daymn!!!).
30. Grandpa used to take naps in the basement and he also made his own ammunition down there (marksmen make there own – they just do).
31. Grandma read books to me because we didn’t have a TV.
32. Grandpa died when I was in the 4th grade.
33. I cried a lot that month.
34. Mom taught me chivalry, facts of life, and damn near everything else.
35. Mom worked her ass off to take care of her three boys.
36. My two older brothers made sure I was looked after and I was to never miss out on the fun that they were having.
37. Mom took me to church every Sunday, weather I wanted to or not.
38. Mom made me go to camp kickin’ and a screamin’. Me no likey until I got there.
39.Mom was a cowgirl (she won AZ state rodeo queen one year – barrel racing) and my oldest brother won best all around cowboy AZ state rodeo – calf roping, steer wrestling and team roping. I have ridden a horse twice.
40. Vic (brother) had a Chevy step-side show truck named blu-by-u. I drove it down the highway when I was 10 (he was there too).
Work
41. My first real job was at a gourmet grocery store – go figure.
42. I was promoted to apprentice chef at the Italian kitchen inside the store.
43. Apprentice chef = cut up food and make pizzas. I can cut mushrooms like its nobodies business.
44. I quit when the head chef got mad at me for missing two bread crumbs. I think his name was Dick – at least that’s what I called him.
45. He got fired right after I quit and I got rehired right after he got fired. Justice prevailed.
46. I worked for my brother’s then father-in-law. I learned how to fabricate and weld.
47. When he sold his business I went with him to start a new business. I was #1 for all you star trek fans.
48. He would scream and yell at me just about every morning and apologize every afternoon.
49. I learned to hate him.
50. I went to work for his best friend building trailers. One of the nicest guys I have ever met. I tried to buy his company but no one would lend $4 mil to a 24 year old.
I moved to Vegas and started to work for my brother but it didn’t work out. I said what the heck, I’m gona to start a grocery store.
Sports
51. I played soccer for three years. I was (still am) fat and so I was the goalie (sp?).
52. I was in charge of the orange slices and juice most often.
53. I was in the chess club when I was in the 6th grade.
54. Chess is a sport.
55. I suck at chess.
56. I started playing tennis when I was around 11.
57. I won a trophy for best sportsman at one of the many tennis camps. My ability to play the damn sport never got me more that an achievement award.
58. I started getting very good at tennis until I turned 16. I played in many tournaments and against older guys. I had a very wicked serve (I played left handed and my serve hit many a person).
59. I got a car when I turned 16.
60. I played football for two years. I loved the game but hated the conditioning and one of the coaches (coach Brocelli – he thought his shit was indeed candy).
School
61. I went to private Christian schools all my life.
62. I wasn’t privileged – just smarter than the commoners.
63. I puked all over the second grade door when my teacher made me finish all of my hot dog lunch.
64. I’ll never think of hot dogs quite the same.
65. Grade school and Jr. High – Light and Life. High school – Phoenix Christian High School.
66. In my freshman year I squatted 365 lbs. It was the schools second most lbs squatted – ever.
67. I sucked at (still do) spelling. During high school’s study hall I would write to Tera in a note book that we shared. It helped me a lot. I think she still has all of them as well as all my love letters and all of the petals from the roses that I gave her. They are in our kitchen if you want to see them.
68. I played tennis with a guy named Stewart. He shot himself a year after we graduated. I still think of him often. His younger brother shot himself a year after that. His dad was a pastor of a Baptist church.
69. My drank friends a lot. I tried really hard but never liked it enough to get drunk.
70. One of my best friends in high school was Brad. I still talk to him damn near every day.
Church
71. I walked to church every Sunday. I thought it made me extra spiritual because I saw our neighbors who were Jewish walk on Saturday with their little hats on.
72. I went to the same church that my Grandpa went to until mom wanted to switch to a southern Baptist church. Pastor Richard Jackson yelled a lot and sweated like I guy that uh……sweats a lot.
73. I sang in the youth choir every Wednesday.
74. The music pastor was very good at teaching vocals to 100 plus kids. We were very good.
75. I spent a lot of summers playing pool and roller skating in our church’s “outreach” building. We were rich believers.
76. You had to be a member in order to rent skates. You had to be baptized in their tank in order to be a member. Praise God because we wouldn’t want any heathens borrowing those skates.
77. My first date was at the indoor basketball courts. We watched Grand Canyon College play against another no name college. By the way, if you were wondering, my first date was with Tera and my mom drove us around in her new Camaro.
78. In High School, one Sunday our Youth pastor asked our whole class to leave if we didn’t want to be there. We didn’t but we thought we were very cool for him to say that.
79. I started to go to Tera’s church in college. That pastor didn’t yell or sweat. He was cool.
80. We no longer go to “church”. We just like to spend time with our friends.
Religion
81. I memorized Psalms 1 when I was about 6. I used to impress my Grandpas friends with my biblical skills.
82. I went to every vacation bible school, retreat, bible camp, bible tour, and choir tour that my church had to offer. My religion was a way of life.
83. I went to Christian grade school and Christian high school. My religion was my learning.
84. I went to church every Sunday, Wednesday, Saturday and Friday for choir rehearsal. My religion was my hobby.
85. I never, in all my years of training and memorizing, knew anything about the Kingdom that Jesus started. I never knew that the Kingdom was all around me but it wasn’t complete.
86. I believed that Jesus was God because the Bible, and only the Bible, said so.
87. I loathed people that raised their hands, cried, or spoke in tongues during the service.
88. My hobby became apologetics instead of love.
89. I practiced debating (in my mind) many Mormons, Catholics, Hindus, Harlicrishnas (sp), and Jehovah’s Witnesses but trembled every time someone wanted to ask me what I believed. I think I was a very nervous guy.
90. Not until I came to Las Vegas did I see what I had become.
Stuff I just remembered
91. I fell out of a tree house when I was very little. I had a severe concussion and my left eye was bleeding. I still get headaches every so often that I blame that damn tree.
92. I love to fish. I hate eating them but I can catch them pretty good. My Grandpa took me fishing often and my dad did too.
93. I am learning a lot about my dad when I fish with him. We went on a three day deep sea fishing trip that I will never forget and this year we are looking at a 5-7 day trip.
94. I swore that I would never leave like my dad did to me. While I will still hold true to that promise I have realized the man my dad has become. I never had much of a relationship with him when I was young but I now am very close to him. I no longer have regrets when it comes to him. In fact I deeply admire him and hope that I learn from the things he tells me.
95. I love to create things out of metal. It is an art form for me – an expression.
96. I know that I get misunderstood by many people. I tend to be somewhat blunt and try to find the funny things in life and too often at other’s expense. I’m not perfect – sue me.
97. I have discovered a deep love in an odd community. It is infectious and beautiful.
98. I have discovered that I am loved and valued by my Father. I knew John 3:16 but I misunderstood that He loves me this much and this close.
99. I deeply love those in my community and often will sit in the back of our gathering and think and pray for every person that I see.
100. I am now exposed.
posted by Tera @ 11:36 AM
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